Apparatus for fabricating wooden structures



p 1969 A. E. M GLINCHEY APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING WOODEN STRUCTURESFiled June 2, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ARTHUR E. MQGLINCHEY BY #aWZQQ 2: @014 ATTORNEYS p 1969 A. E. M GLlNCHEY APPARATUS FOR FABRICATINGWOODEN STRUCTURES Filed June 2, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ARTHURE. MQGL INCHEY ATTORNEYS p 969 A. E. M GLINCHEY APPARATUS FORFABRICATING WOODEN STRUCTURES Filed June 2, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 n a HRC 0 3 6 L 2 7 E G 7 Vc. .l W E O 5 1.14 R 5 5 3 5 m m I A F a u 4 /S\ 9w m 2 m 6 J p. 4 m d 1 l L I f K I 4 V K1 In on O e m 6 \\mu w U\- 0. ILw n d w n Q L -m ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,464,348 APPARATUS FORFABRICATING WOODEN STRUCTURES Arthur E. McGlinchey, 1122 NE. 1st Ave.,Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33304 Filed June 2, 1967, Ser. No. 657,439 (Filedunder Rule 47(1)) and 35 U.S.C. 118) Int. Cl. B30b 3/02, 1/02, 15/06U.S. Cl. 100210 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reflect generatorfor use in a fabricating machine for setting the teeth of opposedconnector plates into wooden structural members. A plurality ofparallel, vertically slidable blocks with reaction faces are juxtaposedso that the composite of the reaction faces present an upwardly directedreaction pad on a supporting station in the fabricating machine. Thejoint of wooden members to be fastened by opposed connector plates,together with the opposed plates, are receivable upon the thusconstituted reaction pad. A rocker arm for each blade is pivotallysupported with a striker portion to engage an anvil portion on thecorresponding blade. A key portion is also provided on each rocker arm.The key portion extends upwardly into the path of a gantry roller whichis movable across and above the reaction pad so that as the rollercontacts the key portion the rocker arm pivots to raise the blade towardthe roller The opposing roller and blades thus simultaneously drive theopposed connector plates into the wooden members being joined.

Background of the invention Prefabrication of trusses, at leastafportion of which is wooden so that the componentsfcan be joined bytoothed connector plates, has enjoydd considerable success. Concurrentwith the development of advanced designs for such trusses and theirmetallic connector plates considerable improvement has been made to theapparatus for fabricating wooden structures.

Apparatus for fabricating such wooden structures, and trusses inparticular, originally employed individual driving heads for forcing theteeth on each connector plate into fastening position within the woodenmembers. Any number of ways have been advanced to actuate these drivingheads, but inasmuch as the resistance offered by the wooden members whenthe penetration of all the teeth on the connector plate is accomplishedsimultaneously is quite high, such apparatus requires commensuratelyhigh embodiment pressures to be provided by the driving head. Machinescapable of providing the requisite pressure are not economicallyfeasible.

However, a fabricating machine which employs a gantry roller pressgreatly reduces the difliculty insofar as those connector plates beingset by the roller are concerned and has, consequently, enjoyedconsiderable success in the industry. Examples of the gantry press typeof apparatus are shown in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,212,694 and 3,255,943.

Gantry roller type fabricating machines employ a reaction pad for eachjoint of the truss which is to be fastened by a toothed connector plate.When using exterior plates (those in which the teeth extend outwardlyfrom only one side thereof), a connector plate is placed on the reactionpad with the teeth extending upwardly. The joint of the wooden membersto be fastened together is then assembled upon the upwardly directedteeth and an upper, opposing plate is positioned, teeth doWn, on top ofthe joint. With the structural members clamped in ice this position agantry roller is rolled along and above the reaction pads into contactwith the upper plate. In this arrangement the forces by which embedmentof the teeth is accomplished are imparted by the contacting arc of thecylindrical outer surface of the roller. To set the teeth the roller isrestrained against moving more than a fixed distance above the reactionpad.

Engagement of the contacting are on the roller of the gantry pressallows the connector plate to dish beneath the roller so that the forceapplied thereby is not resisted by all the teeth on the plate butrather, primarily only by those which are positioned along that portionof the plate actually engaged by the roller. Thus the overall forcerequired to embed the teeth on the top plate is of lesser magnitude whenusing a gantry roller than when using a driving head.

However, the teeth of the lower connector plate, which rests on therigidly fixed reaction pad, have heretofore been required to be embeddedsimultaneously, even with a fabricating machine employing a gantryroller. Accordingly, unless only the connector plates on that side ofthe structure being fabricated along which the gantry roller is passedare applied, even the more eflicient gantry press has been required tosupply considerable embedment pressure.

Ideally a pair of opposed rollers would require the minimum embedmentpressure, but it is, of course, impossible to pass a pair of rollerssimultaneously across both the upper and lower connector plates unlessthey are already at least partially secured or tacked to the Woodenstructural members.

Summary of the invention It is therefore the primary object of thepresent invention to provide a reflect generator by which opposed,toothed connector plates can be simultaneously applied by rollingarcuate surfaces in a gantry roller press without requiring either plateto be initially tacked.

This and other objects which will become apparent from the followingspecification are accomplished by means hereinafter described andclaimed.

In general a reflect generator constructed in accordance with theconcept of the present invention utilizes a plurality of verticallymovable, juxtaposed blades presenting a composite upper surfaceequivalent to the reaction pad on a supporting station of agantry-roller press. A corresponding plurality of juxtaposed rocker armsare mounted for pivotal movement about a bearing support. Each rockerarm has a striker portion on one side of the bearing support and a keyportion on the other side. The striker portion engages an anvil on thecorresponding blade and the key portion extends within the range of thegantry roller so as to be contacted thereby simultaneously with theengagement of the roller with the upper plate.

As the roller passes over the keys they move downwardly in conformitywith the contacting arc. Down ward movement of the keys occasions acorresponding upward movement of the strikers which lift the blades indirect proportion to the downward movement of the keys so that the teethon the lower connector plate are embedded by a surface which accuratelyconforms to the contacting arc of the gantry roller engaging the keys.

One preferred embodiment is shown by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings and is described in detail without attempting to show all ofthe various forms and modifications in which the invention might beembodied; the invention being measured by the appended claims and notthe details of the specification.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a portion of a gantry rollerpress type machine adapted for making wooden trusses and incorporating areflect generator according to the concept of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan of the reflect generator mounted on aslide plate carried on a supporting station;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a reflect generator taken substantially online 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the reflect generator taken substantiallyon line 44 of FIG. 3 depicting the op erative engagement of the gantryroller therewith;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIG. 4depicting the opposed gantry press and reflect generator setting theteeth of opposed connector plates into wooden structural members.

Description of a preferred embodiment Referring more particularly to thedrawings, a reflect generator indicated generally by the numeral 10, ismounted on a supporting station 11 of a gantry type truss fabricatingmachine. A plurality of such supporting stations are aligned with thegantry press 12.

The gantry press 12 mounts a press roller 13 between two, rigidlyinterconnected dollies 14 and 15 and is powered, by motor 16, to beselectively movable along tracks 18 and 19. As the press 12 moves alongtracks 18 and 19 the roller 13 passes above and across the supportingstations 11.

In order to accommodate assembly of wooden structures of various sizeand configuration, such as the truss 20 depicted in assembly position,it is preferable that the stations 11 be selectively positionable alongthe tracks 18 and 19. While the supporting stations 11 may beconstructed to provide any number of desired features, in the formdepicted it is constructed generally in the form of a bench suitablybraced and trussed to maintain the upper spanning members 21 and 22,supported between the ends 23 and 24 of the supporting station 11, insubstantially horizontal disposition even under load. Although a benchtop may be affixed to the spanning members 21 and 22, additionaladjustability is obtained by the use of one or more slide plates 25selectively positionable along the spanning members 21 and 22. Theunique retflect generator 10 is then mounted on the slide plate 25. Adetailed disclosure of the gantry press 12, the supporting station 11,together with the mechanism by which adjustability of a slide plate 25is accomplished and the construction of the clamping means for securingthe slide plate to the spanning members of the supporting station may befound in the aforementioned US. Patents Nos. 3,212,694 and 3,255,943 andform no part of he present invention.

The reflect generator 10 has a pair of spaced apart stanchion plates 28and 29 dependingly affixed to the slide plate 25, as by welding 30, orother suitable means. A bearing shaft 31 is supported between thestanchion plates 28 and 29 and is preferably vertically adjustable.Vertical adjustability of the bearing shaft 31 can be accomplished byreceiving the shaft 31 in vertically elongated bore 32 in each stanchionplate 28 and 29 and fixing the vertical position of the shaft 31 thereinby insorting one or more shims 33 of selective thickness between theshaft 31 and the bearing block 34 which extends between the lowerextremities of the stanchion plates 28 and 29.

A plurality of juxtaposed, plate-like rocker arms 35 are pivotallymounted on the bearing shaft 31. Each rocker arm 35 has a coved recess36 into which the shaft is received so that not only is the arm 35rockable thereabout but it is also restrained against movementtransversely of the shaft.

On one side of the shaft 31 each rocker arm 25 terminates in a strikerportion 38, preferably of slightly bulbous configuration, to providepoint contact with the anvil surface 39 of its corresponding blade 40. Aplurality of juxtaposed, plate-like blades 40 are supported beneath anopening 41 through the slide plate 25 so that the composite of thereaction face 42 on each blade 40 constitutes a reaction pad, indicatedgenerally at 43. A lower connector plate 44 can be supported on reactionpad 43 with the teeth 46 extending upwardly toward the wooden members 48and 49 to be joined thereby. It should be observed that the plates 40'may form the reaction pad 43 below the level of supporting surface 50 onslide plate 25 so that even with the lower connector plate positioned tospan the joint between members 48 and 49, the members 48 and 49 aresupported directly on surface 50. With prior known reaction pads thewooden members were precariously balanced on the teeth of the lowerconnector plate.

Each blade 40 is primarily supported by the striker portion 38 on rockerarm 35 but is also balanced on a guide bracket 51 which is carried byand extends beneath the side plate 25. A resilient stop block 52 on thebracket 51 interacts with a notch 53 in the end of each blade to assistin preventing undesirable movement of each blade 48 longitudinally awayfrom its respective rocker arm 35 and cushioningly to bias the bladeupwardly against the lower connector plate 44-. Upper notches 54 and 55in each blade 40 also cooperate with the edge of the opening 41 throughslide plate 25 to assist in maintaining the longitudinal position ofeach blade 40. Lateral positioning of the blades 40 is maintained bytheir juxtaposition with each other and by engagement with a positioningbracket 56 at each end of the side-by-side blades. The right-angledbracket 56 also extends downwardly along the side of the striker portion38 of the adjacent rocker arm 35 to align the end rocker arm 35 with thecorresponding blade 40.

Alignment of the remaining blades and rocker arms is achieved byassembly successive blades of differing vertical dimension. Alternatingpositioning blades 40a of one vertical dimension with those 4% of asecond vertical dimension, as best seen in FIG. 6, works quite well. Thestriker portions of the alternate rocker arms 35a and 35b are similarlyvaried, as best seen in FIG. 4. Thus, each rocker arm will operativelyengage and lift only the appropriate blade.

On that side of the bearing shaft 31 opposite the striker portion 38 akey 58 dog-legs outwardly and upwardly, presenting a work surface 59within the range of the press roller 13. As shown, the combined worksurfaces 59 of the adjacently stacked rocker arms 35 may be protected bya flexible wear shield 60 extending thereacross and clamped to the slideplate 25 laterally of the rocker arm arrangement by pressure plates 61and 62.

Right-angled thrust plates 63 and 64 may also be fastened to the upperside of the slide plate 25 laterally adjacent the key portions 58 of therocker arms 35 at each end of adjacently arranged composite. The thrustplates 63 and 64 act as additional positioning means to maintain eachrocker arm 35 vertically aligned with its respective blade 40, even asthe roller exerts its combined lateral and downward pressure to the keyportions 58 contacted thereby.

The rolling engagement of the contacting arc of roller 13 not only tendsto dish the upper connector plate 65 as it drives the teeth 66 thereoninto the wood but also causes the key portions 58 of the rocker armscontacted thereby to conform to the same arc. This downward movement ofthe key portions 58 pivots the rocker arm so that the striker portion 38raised the corresponding blade 40 an amount proportionate to the ratioof the distances from the bearing shaft 31 to the key portion 58 withrespect to the distance from the bearing shaft 31 to the striker 38. Inthe embodiment depicted these distances are substantially the same sothat the upward movement of the blade 40 equals the downward movement ofthe key portion 58. With the blades 40 solifted a rolling contact are isgenerated by the blades which conform, or reflect, the cylindricalsurface of the contating arc of roller 13. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6,both the upper and lower connector plates 65 and 44, respectively, aresimultaneously applied by rolling arcuate surfaces.

Moreover, the striker 38 engages the striker portion 39 generallymedially opposite the reaction face 42 in order to minimize unduetilting of the blade as the striker 38 moves it upwardly. For the sameconsideration it is also more advantageous to have the striker 3S engagethe blade 40 beyond the medial portion instead of closer than the medialsection since by the former configuration the near corner 68 of theblade 46 would engage the upper surface 69 on the striker portion of thearm 35 well before tilting of the blade becomes excessive.

It is also preferable that the work surface 59 on each key portion 58 beinclined outwardly with respect to the bearing shaft 31 and upwardlywith respect to a horizontal reference 70 (FIG. 3). In this way as thekey portion 58 pivots downwardly beneath the pressure of roller 13 thework surface 59 through wear shield 60, will become engaged with theroller over a greater, rather than a lesser, area.

It has also been found desirable to position a flexible bumper 71between the rocker arm 35 and the bearing block 34 on the key portion 58side of the bearing shaft 31 to urge the key portion of the rocker armupwardly after passage of the roller 13 thereacross. This assures thatthe normal configuration of the reaction pad 43 will be planar. Asshown, the bumper 71 may best be retained in a receiving notch 72aligned in the laterally juxtaposed rocker arms 35.

In view of the above description it should be apparent that a reflexgenerator according to the concept of the present invention permitssimultaneous application of both upper and lower connector plates byrolling arcuate surfaces and otherwise accomplishes the objects of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a fabricating machine for setting the teeth of opposed connectorplates into wooden structural members having at least one supportingstation and a gantry roller movable across and above said supportingstation, a reflect generator, said reflect generator comprising, aplurality of blades carried on said supporting station, each with anupwardly directed reaction face, the composite faces of said bladespresenting a reaction pad upon which a joint between structural membersembraced by the opposed connector plates can repose, said blades beingindividually, vertically movable, a lift means for each said blade, saidlift means operative in response to the passage of said roller to raisethe corresponding blade toward the roller, said opposed blades androller simultaneously applying the opposed connector plates to thestructural members therebetween.

2. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim1, in which the lift means is a rocker arm mounted for pivotal movement,said rocker arm having a key portion engaged by the passage of saidroller to lift the corresponding blade.

3. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim2, in which the rocker arm is pivotal about a bearing shaft, the keyportion being positioned on one side of said bearing shaft and a strikerportion on said rocker arm being positioned on the other side of saidbearing shaft, said striker portion engaging an anvil on said blade toraise said blade in response to engagement of said key portion by saidroller.

4. A reflect generator, as set worth in claim 3, in which the pluralityof blades are assembled by having successive blades of differingvertical dimension and the striker portion of the corresponding rockerarms conformingly varied.

5. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim3, in which an adjusting means is provided to raise and lower saidbearing shaft so that the key portion of said rocker arms can beselectively positionable with respect to the roller.

6. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim3, in which the bearing shaft is horizontally mounted on the supportingstation beneath the reaction faces of said blades and the key portiondoglegs outwardly and upwardly therefrom into the range movement of saidroller.

7. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim6, in which an adjusting means is provided to raise and lower saidrocker arm so that the key portion thereof can be selectivelypositionable with re spect to the roller.

8. A reflect generator, as set forth in claim 7, in which the pluralityof blades are assembled by having successive blades of differingvertical dimension and the stricker portion of the corresponding rockerarms conformingly varied.

9. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim7, in which guide means restrict said blocks to generally verticalmovement and the striker engages the anvil generally medially of theopposed reaction faces.

10. A reflect generator in a fabricating machine, as set forth in claim9, in which the key portion has a work surface engageable by saidrollers, said work surface being normally inclined outwardly of saidbearing shaft and upwardly with respect to a horizontal reference sothat the work surface will tend fully to engage said roller when theblade has been lifted to its uppermost position against a joint embracedby opposed connector plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,207,406 9/1965 Bowman 227-l523,212,694 10/1965 Sanford 227l52 3,402,869 9/1968 Otis 227-152 GRANVILLEY. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

